Locking mechanism for vault-doors



F. E. ARNDT.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR VAULT DOORSr APPLICATION FILED JU'NE |4, l9l9-Patentd Jan. 20, 192 0.

2 SHEETSZSHEET 2.

gwuentm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT, OF GALION, OHIO, ASSIGHOR T0 DAVID "C. BOYD, 'OFGALION, OHIO.

LOOKING MECHANISM FQR VAULT-DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 14-, 1919. Serial No. 304,291.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN E. ARNDT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Mechanism forVault-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion comprehends certain new and useful improvements inburial vaults, and relates especially to that type of vault door lockingmechanism wherein a series of locking members are projectedfron aposition out of engagement with the wall of the vault into a position ofengagement therewith.

One of the objects of the invention is a locking mechanism of thischaracter that is so constructed and arranged that the clamp ing bars orbolts, after being projected into locking engagen'ient with the flangeon the vault body, are forced inward at their inner ends causing theselocking bars or bolts to have a rocking movement or leverage actionwhich shall draw the door of the vault intoair-tight, hermeticallysealed engagement with the flange on the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for projecting theclamping bars or bolts including cranks and plungers connected thereto,these plungers being associated with the clamping bars or bolts andhaving a telescopic engagen'ient therewith, and there being coiledsprings disposed to: resist inward movement of the plungers withreference to the clamping bars so that the crank arms may pass theircenters and the plungers may travel outward with reference to the clampbars without retracting the, clamp bars.

A further object is to provide means for holding the extremities of theclamp bars urged outward from the door so that they may pass over theangle iron at the end of the vault body without chance of the clamp--ing bars engaging the edge of the angle iron and being prevented fromfull projection.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of this character wherein theparts may be cheaply manufactured and easily assem bled, the parts beingrelatively few and of simple construction whereby the vault may beeconomically constructed, and may be sold at relatively low price.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is made to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in wh1ch:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of a vault looking toward the door, thedoor being provided with my improved locking mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an inside face view of the gear case; I

Fig. 3 is a. section 011 the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is a section on the line of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is alike view to Fig. 4., but showing the locking members inlocked position.

Referring to these drawings, the body portion of the burial vault isdesignated 10, and this body portion is constructed of any desiredshape, size and design. This body is open at one end, and at this endhas attached to the side wall of the body the angle iron 11 having theinwardly extendingflange 12, with a yielding gasket 13. The door 14 isdesigned to abut against this gasket and to be forced inward so as tocompress the gasket and secure an air-tight joint between thedoor andthe vault. To this end, and to lock the door securely to the end of thevault, the door is provided at its center with an opening. Disposed uponthe inner face of this door is a base plate 15 which is riveted, welded,or otherwise permanently attached to the door, this base plate beingformed with a plurality of radially arranged pairs of upwardly extendingweb's or wings 16, connected at their upper ends by a 'web 17. The base15 and the web 17 are formed to provide bearings for an inwardlyprojecting worm shaft 18, theouter extremity of which passes through theopening in the door and is exterior ly screw-threaded, as at 19. Thisouter end is also formed with a polygonal socket 20 whereby a wrench maybe applied to the shaft to rotate it. A cap 21 is normally applied overthe end of the shaft, the cap being interlorly screw-threaded to engagethe screw-threads 19.

The shaft 18 carries the worm 22. Disposed between each pair of wings 16or flanges is a sector gear 23, mounted upon a short transverse shaft24. Mounted on this shaft on each side of the sector gear 23 are thecrank arms 25. Thus, these crank arms and the sector gear and shaftrotate together. I do not wish to be limited to the Patented Jan. 20,1920.

exact construction illustrated, as it is obvious that this might bechanged in many ways. The sector gears mesh with the worm 22. Pivotallyconnected to the outer end of each pair of crank arms is a plunger 265.

Applied to the rear or inner face of the door 14 are any desired numberof locking members 27. These locking members are illustrated as in theform of triangularshaped frames, and four of these are illustrated inthe present instance. These look- 'ing members or frames may be formed111 an convenient way, and have a plurality of pairs of locking bolts28. It is to be under stood that while I have shown the bolts 28 asbeing arranged in pairs and as being attached to a locking membercomprising an integral, triangular-shaped frame, yet I do not wish to belimited thereto, nor to the use of a gang of locking bolts, as theinvention is equally applicable to one looking bolt 01' pair.

Coacting with each pair of locking bolts 28 is a T-bolt 29, having ashank 30 disposed between the pair of locking bolts, and riveted orotherwise attached to the vault door, each pair of the bolts 28operating beneath the cross bar of the T-bolt. The upper face of each ofthese locking bolts 28 is downwardly beveled, as at 31. Each lockingmember 27, whether in the form of a single bar, a double bar, or a gangof bars formed to provide locking bolts, is formed at its inner end witha tubular socket 32, within which the corresponding plunger 26 hastelescopic engagement. The plunger 26 is formed with a reduced shank 33which projects out though an aperture 34 in the eX tremity of the socket32, and is temporarily held from disengagement in the socket by aremovable transverse pin 35. Disposed between the shoulder 36 of theplunger and the outer extremity of the socket is a coiled compressionspring 37. The locking'member 27 is formed with a transverse bar 38 justrearward of the bolts 28 or extremities of the locking member, and atspaced points on this transverse bar there are downwardly extending pins39, these pins being loosely mounted in the bar for vertical movement.This pin is formed with a head 40, and dis posed between the bar 38 andthis head is a coiled compression spring 11 which urges the pin downwardwith its head bearing against the inner face of the door.

7 From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the operation of my improved vault door or closure will beapparent. After the casket has been inserted into the vault, the door14: is applied to the open end thereof, with the locking members 27 intheir inner or retracted positions and the pins 35 removed. Then awrench having a square or polygonal stud at one end is applied to thesocket 20 on the outer end of the shaft or stem 18, and the stem 18 isturned in such a direction that the sector gears 23 are rotated to forcethe plungers 26 outward. These plungers in their outward movement willcompress the springs 37 of the several locking members, and whenthesprings have reached a certain stage of compression, they will force thelocking members 27 outward from the position shown in full lines inFig..41 to the position shown in. d'ottedline's where'the bolts or outerends of the members will bear against the flange 12 of the angle bar 11.By a continued turning of the worm pinions or sector gears 23, the clampbars or bolts are thus forced out under the key bolts and the inner endsof the locking members will be raised so that these locking members willfulcrum against the key bolts, and the outer ends of the locking membersbearing against the flange 12, will force the door and the plungertoward each other, thus giving the door eXtra compression .or sealing itairtight.

When the crank arms 25 have passed their centers and the springs arefully compressed, the plungers will commence to move outward relative tothe sockets 32, but the clamping members will remain in their projectedpositions by reason of the compression springs holding them in thisprojected position. Thus, when the crank arms have reached the positionshown in dotted linesin Fig. 4, the vault door will be securely lockedand will be held firmly forced against and compressing the gasket 13.Thereafter the vault door is securely locked and can not be unlocked, bya rotation of the sector gears 23, through the action of the worm 22,which will cause the plungers to reciprocate within the sockets. Thesmall springs 4:1 are designed to hold the ends of the locking bolts 28up close to the key bolts so that the bolts 28 will pass over theplunger 12 without striking the edge of the plunger. The heads 40 of thepins 39 will ride upon the inner face of the door when in locking memberis shifted.

It will be seen that the mechanism which has been above described isvery simple and effective, that all of the bolts are projected at thesame time, that leverage is applied equally to all of the bolts orlocking members so that every portion of the door is pressed with likeforce against the gasket 13, and that once the door is locked, it isimpossible to unlock it, assuming that the pins 35 have been removedprevious to the closing of the door. It will be seen that there is acompound movement of the looking mei; bers, first a sliding movement inan outward direction approxin'iately parallel to the plane of the door14, and. then a rocking movement of the locking members in a plane atright angles to the plane of the door which secures the compression ofthe gasket by the door. I

It is to be noted that I have provided :a manually operable actuatingmeans for the bolts comprising the members 118, '23, '24,, and '26, andthat the locking bolt 27 has telescopic engagement with the member 26and that the spring 37 maintains operative engagement between member '26and the locking bolt 27 upon an outward movement of the member 26 byreason of the fact that this spring yie'ldingly resists compression butis sufiiciently strong to cause the lock-.-

ing bolt 27 to be forced forward to its dotted lineposition over theflange 12. Now when the crank arm 25 is rotated beyond the dead center,the plate commences to retract the arm 26 but the member 26 will notexert any retractive force upon the locking bolt 27. Thus, the operatingmechanism becomes operatively disconnected from the locking member 27when the locking member has been projected to its full extent andlocked.

lVhile I have illustrated a construction which I have found thoroughlyeffective in practice, and which is very simple and practical, yet it isobvious that minor changes might be made in the detailed construction ofthe several parts without departing from the spirit of the invention,and it is particularly noted that I do not wish to be limited to theexact form of the locking members 27 and that the frame 27 with theintegral bolts 28 constitute in efiect a single locking or clamp bolt.

I claim 1. A vault door, a locking member mounted upon the inner facethereof for outward movement approximately parallel to the face of thedoor, actuating means including a member moving longitudinally of thelocking member, and means whereby said actuatingmember and the lockingmember shall have coincident outward movement upon an outwardlongitudinal movement of the actuating member but said actuating membershall have movement rearward independently of the locking member upon aretraction of the actuating member whereby to prevent a retraction ofthe locking member upon a retraction of the actuating member.

2. A vault door, a locking member mounted upon the inner face thereoffor outward movement approximately parallel to the face of the door,actuating means including a member movable longitudinally of the lockingmember, and manually operable means for reciprocating said actuatingmember, and a compression spring disposed be tween said longitudinallymovable actuating member and the 10 cking member whereby thelongitudinal outward movement of'the actuating member will 'compre ssthespring and project the locking member and an inward movement of theactuating member will relieve the pressure on the spring without causinga retraction of the locking bolt.

3. A vault door, a locking member mounted upon the inner face thereoffor outward movement approximately parallel to the face of the door androcking movement at right angles thereto, and a single means operativelyconnected to the door and actuatable in one direction to shift thelocking men'iber outward and successively shift the inner end of thelocking member away from the door to cause the outer end of the lockingmember to move toward the plane of the door, and means operaltivelydisconnecting the locking member from the actuating means after thelocking member has been projected to thereby prevent a retraction of thelooking member by any further movement of the actuating means in eitherdirection.

t. A vault door, a locking member mounted upon the inner face thereoffor outward movement approximately parallel to the face of the door, andmanually actuatable means for projecting the locking member comprising alongitudinally movable member having telescopic engagement with thelocking member, a coiled compression spring disposed between saidactuating member and the locking member whereby the outward movement ofthe actuating member will compress the spring and cause a projection ofthe locking member but a retractive movement of the actuating memberwill relieve the pressure on the spring without retracting the lockingmember.

5. A vault door having a member carrying a cross bar mounted adjacentits edge, a locking member disposed adjacent the inner face of the doorand having its outer end extending beneath said cross bar, said lockingmember being mounted for movement approximately parallel to the face ofthe door and for rocking movement at right angles thereto with the crossbar as a fulcrum, and neans for projecting and rocking said lookingmember comprising a rotatable member, manually operable means forrotating it, said rotatable member having a crank pin, a plunger pivotedto said crank pin and having telescopic engagement with the lockingmember, and a coiled compression spring disposed between the lockingmember and the plunger whereby upon a rotation of the rotatable memberin one direction the plunger will be projected, the spring compressedand the locking member forced outward, and upon a further rotation ofsaid rotatable member, the locking member will be rocked upon itsfulcrum, the pressure on the spring will be relieved, and the plungerretrac ted without retracting the locking member.

'6. A vault door, locking members mounted on the rear face thereof, andmeans for projecting said locking members comprising a shaft extendingthrough the vault door and carrying a worm, and a plurality. of gearwheels engaged by said worm and operatively connected to the lockingmembers, the operative connection between the locking members and thegear wheels being such that initial rotation of the gear wheels in onedirection and to a predetermined extent will project the locking membersbut a further rotation in the same direction or re Verse rotation willnot affect the locking members.

7 A vault door, a locking member on the rear face thereof mounted foroutward movement approximately in a plane parallel to the door, a gearwheel, means projecting through the door and engaging the gear wheelwhereby the gear wheel may be rotated in one direction, a crank pincarried by the gear wheel, and an actuating member movable by andengaged with the crank pin, said locking member and said actuatingmember moving outward together upon an outward movement of the actuatingmember to thereby project the locking member into locking position, saidactuating member being shiftable inward independently of the lockingmember.

8. A vault door, a locking member on the rear face thereof mounted foroutward movement approximately in a plane parallel to the door, a gearwheel, means projecting through the door whereby the gear wheel may berotated in one direction, a crank pin carried by the gear wheel, aplunger connected to the crank pin, the locking member being formed witha socket in which said plunger moves, means resisting independentmovement of the plunger and locking member when the plunger is projectedby a rotation of the crank pin, said means permitting the plunger to beretracted relative to the locking member.

9. A vault door, a locking member on the rear face thereof mounted foroutward movement approximately in a plane parallel to the door, a gearwheel, means projecting through the door whereby the gear wheel may berototed in one direction, a crank pin carried by the gear wheel, aplunger connected to the crank pin, the locking member being formed witha socket in which said plunger moves, and a compression spring disposedbetween the plunger and the locking member causing a unitary, outwardmovement of the plunger and locking member but holding the lockingmember projected when the plunger is retracted.

10. A vault door, a" locking member mounted upon the rear face thereoffor movement in a plane approximately parallel to the face of the doorand for rocking movement in a plane at right angles to the face of thedoor, a cross bar attached to the door beneath which the outer extremityof the locking member operates, a crank mounted upon the door, meansextending from the door whereby said crank may be manually rotated, aplunger pivoted to the crank, the inner end of the locking member beingprovided with a socket wherein said plunger operates, and a coiledcompression sprmg disposed between said plunger and the end of thesocket whereby a rotation of the crank in one direction will cause acompression of the spring, and a unitary outward movement of the plungerand the locking member, and a further movement of the crank will causethe locking member to rock upon the cross bar as a fulcrum and thepartial retraction of the plunger, the compression of the spring holdingthe locking member in its projected position.

11. A vault door having a plurality oi locking members mounted upon theinner face thereof for movement a proximately parallel to the face ofthe oor and for rocking movement each in a plane at right angles to thedoor, cross bars disposed adjacent the edge of the door beneath whichsaid locking members operate, a worm shaft mounted upon the door andprojecting therethrough and carrying a worm, sector gears mounted uponthe inner face of the door and engaged by said worm, there being asector gear for each of said locking members, crank arms carried by thesector gears, plungers pivotally connected to the crank arms, the innerend of each of the locking members being formed with a socket whereinsaid plunger operates, and a coiled compression spring disposed withineach socket and bearing against the end of the plunger.

12. A vault door, a plurality of locking members in the form of framesdisposed in quartering relation upon the inner face of the door, each ofsaid frames having a plu-v rality of pairs of bolts at its outer edge,bolts attached to the inner face of the door and beneath which saidpairs of locking bolts pass, the inner end of each frame being formedwith a socket, a gear case mounted upon the inner face of the door atthe center thereof, a centrally disposed shaft mounted in the gear caseand extending through the door, the shaft being provided with a wormgear, a plurality of sectorgears mounted in said gear case, one for eachof said frames, and meshing with the worm, crank arms carried by thesector gears, plungers pivotally connected to the crank arms, each plunger having sliding movement in the socket of the corresponding lockingmember, each plunger having a reduced shank extending through aperforation in the end of said socket, and a vcoiled compression Springdisposed in each socket surrounding said shank bearing against the endof the socket andagainst the shoulder on the plunger at the junction ofthe shank.

13. In a vault, a body open at one end and having an inwardly extendingflange at this end, a vault door disposed against the outer face of saidflange, a plurality of locking members mounted upon the inner face ofthe door for longitudinal movement and for movement in a plane at rightangles to the door, members having cross bars mounted upon the innerface of the door adjacent its margins and beneath which cross bars thelocking members operate, means yieldingly urging the locking membersagainst the cross bars, and manually operable means movable in onedirection to shift said looking members outward to engage over the innerface of the flange on the vault door and successively shift the innerends of the locking members away from the door to cause the extremitiesof the locking members to bear against said flange and urge the doortoward the flange, said manually operable means being movable in anopposite direction independently of the locking members, whereby toprevent a retraction of the look ing members upon a retraction of theactuating means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT.

